that they concluded a "swift" retreat was the better part of valor. John Swift was the first Moderator of the first town meeting; the first Supervisor; the first pound tender; the first Captain, and at his house was held the first training. At his house, if we except Canandaigua and Bloomfield, was formed the first church west of Oneida Lake. Asa Swift, his son, was the first male child born in the town. He gave lands for the first grave yard, the first school house, and the first church in the village. Indeed from 1790 to 1812, the name of John Swift is identified with every enterprise, pecuniary, political and religious. In the war of 1812 he became a victim to his own inadvertence. At its commencement he was appointed Brevet Gen. N. Y. Vols. In 1812, while stationed at Queenstown Heights, he led a detachment down the river, some six miles, to Ft. George; surrounded and took prisoners a picket guard of the enemy, with some 60 men. Instead of commanding the prisoners to ground their arms and march away from them, he suffered them to retain them. One of the captives inquired, "Who is Gen. Swift?" Most inadvisedly he stood forth and said, "I am Gen. Swift." In an instant the inquisitive prisoner put a ball through his breast. He was borne to the nearest house, where he died, and was buried July 12, 1814, aged 52 years. After the war the citizens of Palmyra disinterred his remains and deposited them in the old cemetery of the village. The N. Y. Legislature, out of respect to his patriotism and bravery, presented a sword to his oldest son, and directed that a full length portrait of Gen. Swift should be hung up in the City Hall of New York. Maj. Howe Cuyler was another, and an earlier sacrifice to the war of 1812, from Palmyra. He was the first lawyer that opened an office in Palmyra, and a man still remembered for his public enterprise and generous sympathies. He was the Aid of Gen. Hall. On the night of the 8th of Oct., 1812, he was killed at Black Rock, by a four pound ball from the British battery at Ft. Erie. He moved to Palmyra in 1804, from Greenbush. Soon after his arrival he purchased the village lot on which now stands the Methodist Chapel, and built and occupied the house yet remaining north of it. This being then a slave State, he brought with him two negro slaves, (Charles and Mahala,) and was the first, if not the only slaveholder ever residing in Palmyra. He took a laudable pride in village improvements, and gave a fresh impetus to things in that direction, providing himself a good garden and a dressed up door yard, painting his house and planting out shade trees, &c. In Nov. 1791, Gideon and Edward Durfee, and Isaac Springer, arrived from Tiverton, R. I. They came in wagons on the old Military road to the old castle at Geneva; from thence, without a path, they found their way to Palmyra. Prior to this, in the fall of 1790, the Durfees came on foot on a tour of discovery

to the "Genesee "country," halting at the "Quaker Settlement," in Farmington, where they commenced a negotiation for land with Isaac Hathaway; but afterwards preferring Swift's township, they bargained with him, and returned to Rhode Island, where they arrived on the 1st Jan., 1791. Their report was regarded with favor by their friends, and emigration was determined upon. Preparations being made, a colony of 100 men embarked upon their journey, with two yoke of oxen and à sled, about the last of Feb. the same year, reaching Palmyra the last of April. They planted that spring two or three acres of corn on the peak of land near the Howell Saw Mill," east of the village, which had been cleared of timber and burnt over by the Indians. They also planted appleseeds, which they had brought, on the same ground, (the first tame apples planted in the town,) and from these originated the old orchard of the Durfee family, yet remaining on the "homestead.” Afterwards Pardon Durfee brought from Rhode Island and planted in the same garden, pear, and other fruit seeds, and it was from one of these that sprung the "Osband Pear," now propagated in fruit nurseries as the best of all summer pears. The seedling was given by Mr. Durfee to his brother-in-law, Weaver Osband, who brought it into bearing-hence the name it has taken. Pardon Durfee came in in 1792, driving the cattle belonging to the colony. The next August a boat landed near the farm house owned by Martin Butterfield, bringing Gideon the elder, and Job, Stephen and Ruth Durfee. Lemuel Durfee arrived four years later. Ruth Durfee married Capt. Wm. Wilcox-the first marriage in the town. It is said that Swift had failed to fulfil his engagements to Phelps and Gorham, but when the Durfee family came he "took heart," for they brought the hard coin, sufficient to pay down for 1,600 acres of land. This money enabled Swift to secure a warranty deed of the town. These were soon followed by Lemuel Spear, David Jackques, Jas. Galloway, Jonathan Willet and the Mattisons; and by Wm., James and Thos. Rogers, Festus and Isaac Goldsmith, Humphrey Sherman, Zebulon Williams and Weaver Osborn, from Rhode Island. David Wilcox, from Adams, Mass., came with his family in April 1791. Mary, his daughter, was born the 29th of next June, and was the first white female child born in the town. A colony was formed at Southampton, who in 1790 sent forward Elias Reeves and Joel Foster, as their agents, to buy land. Gen. Swift having failed to meet the payment for his purchase, they negotiated with Phelps and Gorham, in order to be sure of a good title. In April, 1792, the Long Island colony embarked at Southampton, in a sail boat built by Joel and Cyrus Foster. They sailed through the Sound to New York, thence to Albany; from there they transported their boat by land, 16 miles, to Schenectady; with "setting poles" they pushed the boat up the

Mohawk to Rome. From there they conveyed the boat by land something less than a mile to Wood Creek; thence floating down to Oneida Lake, through the lake and the outlet, they came to Oswego River; thence into Seneca River; through that to Clyde River; through Mud Creek to Saw-mill Creek, landing near the present residence of Hiram Foster. The voyage occupied 28 days. The way now being open, the same old hive sent out repeated swarms of working bees. The Clarks, Posts, Howells, Jaggers, Culvers, Jessups and many others followed. This old boat did good service in going and returning with other companies. It was finally conveyed to Seneca Lake and used as a pleasure boat. In 1790-91, Lemuel Spear, Dr. Gain Robinson, David White and David Warner, with their families, came from Cummington, Mass. Also, Reuben Town, the first physician located in Palmyra, Isaac Kelley, Stephen Phelps, Webb Harwood, Abraham Laphan and Solomon Hathaway, were from Adams, Mass. Joseph Colt, the first merchant in the village, came from Lyme, Conn.; Silas Stoddard, from Groton, and Enoch Sanders, from Warren, Conn. Asa Lilly was from Athol, Mass. These came about 1800. The first store, a log edifice, on the spot where the R. R. Depot now stands, was kept by Zebulon Williams. Here were the head waters of navigation of Mud Creek, which was established as a navigable stream by an act of the Legislature in 1799. The town or district was first christened Tolland by the pioneers, (then in "Tryon" Co.) Ira Selby taught the first school (built in 1793,) in the village; which was succeeded in 1801 by a framed one built upon the same site. This building, like its predecessor, was used for both school and religious purposes; both being conducted for a number of years by Rev. Eleazer Fairbanks, who was the first pastor of the first church, (Presb.,) formed in 1797. Luther Sanford built the first framed barn. The first two-story framed house was built by Silas Harts. The first blacksmith was Zechariah Blackman. The first house burnt was Maj. Colt's smoke-house. Dr. Azel Ensworth was the first postmaster, also the first tavern-keeper and deacon. By reason of this latter double office, it was frequently Dr. E.'s good fortune to be the honored host of the clergy, either transient or resident. Sling was the favorite "treat" in those times, which was anterior to temperance societies. In his proverbial politeness the Dr. was duly observant of the prevailing custom, in treating his “minister" guests to sling made of West India rum, with white loaf sugar; while the "captains," "squires" and common people, were content with home-made whiskey and maple sugar.

Here the insidious monster, Mormonism, was nursed and cradled; which, like the "serpent in Eden," has chosen for its victims the fairest of God's creatures. For 37 years it has dragged its slimy footsteps through the annals of American history. Its progenitor,

Joseph Smith Jr., was born in Sharon, Windson county, Vt., Dec. 23, 1805. He removed to Palmyra, with his father, Joseph Sr., and family, in 1815 or '16. They soon after moved just over the town line into Manchester, some two miles south-west of Palmyra village. Joseph Smith, the father of the "Prophet," previous to the Mormon dispensation, supported himself and family by digging and peddling "rutes and yarbs," selling cake, beer, &c. In 1819 or '20, they commenced digging for money for a subsistence. The vocation was noised around among the community, and not a few were credulous enough to believe that they were within reach of a "chest of gold," ("which had repeatedly eluded their grasp,") and contributed money to the Smiths to enable them to continue their excavations. They, however, used the money thus obtained for the support of the family, and in the meantime kept their friends in a fever of excitement while treasure hunting. Here we must pause to relate an incident replete with important interest, from its intimate connection with the rise and progress of Mormonism. Rev. Solomon Spaulding, while residing at Conneaut, Ohio, in 1809, formed the basis of a romance purporting to give the history of a lost race of people, from the numerous mounds and relics of dilapidated fortifications in this vicinity, which inspired the idea of this literary production. His original design was merely to amuse himself and friends by the imaginary history, entitled "Manuscript Found." It claims to have been written by one of the lost nations, and recovered from one of the mounds. After its completion it was left for perusal with a Mr. Patterson, publisher of a newspaper there; but possessing no real merit, Mr. Patterson refused to publish it. Spaulding neglected to call for it, and it was finally thrown among the waste paper, where it came under the observation of Sydney Rigdon, who was at that time connected with the office, and who took a copy of it. Rigdon upon hearing of the doings of the Smith family in Palmyra, conceived an idea, which resulted in the printing of the Mormon Bible. He at once proceeded to Palmyra, and had long and frequent private interviews with Joseph Smith Jr., when it is supposed they formed the plan of a new religious dispensation. From this romantic legend the Mormon Bible was transposed. Joseph Smith would repair at night to a cave in the hillside, and dictate to his amanuensis, (Oliver Cowdery,) what he "mysteriously translated from golden plates," which he pretended to have found while digging for money in Sept. 1823, by spirit of revelation, but was not permitted to take them from the earth until 1827, about the time the Bible was commenced. The greatest secrecy was observed during the pretended revelations, which were only given in the cave at night, without any light, no one else being able to read the inscription on the plates but he. When it was completed, they were in a great dilemma to know

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how they were to get it printed. This difficulty was soon obviated by Martin Harris, a convert, mortgaging his farm to defray the expenses, ruining himself in doing so. Application was made about June 1829, to Mr. Egbert B. Grandin, the publisher of the Wayne Sentinel at Palmyra, for the printing of the book. Grandin at once advised them against the supposed folly of the enterprise. All importunity, however, was resisted by Harris, and resented with assumed pious indignation by Smith. Upon the refusal of Grandin, they applied the same year to Mr. Weed, of the AntiMasonic Inquirer, at Rochester, and there met with a similar refusal. They again applied to Mr. Grandin, who, upon seeing their determination, consented to print it, stipulating to print 5,000 copies of the book for a compensation of $3.000.

From such insignificant seed sprang the giant evil, which now, on the soil of a distant Territory, threatens the troops of the United States, subverts all principles of law and order, builds a mighty hierarchy of falsehood and licentiousness, and will draw millions of dollars from the public treasury to suppress it. That vice and crime are fostered by the peculiarities of life in Utah, no one can reasonably doubt. There has been no time, in a great many years past, when the American Government would not have been justified in using its strong hand to crush the hydra-headed monster which there holds hideous reign under the piteous pretence of being a religious sect. The basis of Mormonism is polygamy, and nothing else; the "prophets " are sensualists, whose sole desire is to keep a harem of concubines; and in no other way can they carry out their beastly designs, than by cloaking their hideousness under the pretence of a religious sect. There are two reasons why they can do this only so; the first is, that there is no influence that can be brought to bear upon the weak and ignorant among females with such swaying potency as the pretence that polygamy is the highest development of religious abnegation on their part, and is taught by the scriptures as a duty; the second is, that in this country, where religious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution to all, the Mormons rest securely in the trust, that, as a religious sect, the Government dare not meddle with them.

But we are of those who believe that Mormonism is in no true sense a religious institution, and that its assumption of being such, should not be sufficient to free it from the strong hand of the law. The longer the Mormons are left alone, the more powerful they grow; and this will be so, as long as there are sensual and brutal men who seek to set aside the laws of morality and Christianity, and practice licentiousness under the sanction of, or with a certain immunity from the law. In the future history of our country, the Western Territories, in the heart of which Utah lies, are destined to play a most important and influential part. The march of progress